


in the age of icons

by BananasofThorns



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Dream and Techno are gods, Gen, Imagery, Intimidation, Missing Scene, Supernatural Elements, Techno's POV of when Dream snapped, dream is scary, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:14:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28031475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BananasofThorns/pseuds/BananasofThorns
Summary: “Yeah, keep digging,” Tommy crows.The pickaxe hesitates on the downswing. The air shifts; Dream’s aura bursts into visibility, brilliant green and jagged. Ozone hums on Techno’s tongue and Bad stutters in the middle of his sentence. Up on the wall, silhouetted by the sun, Dream stands frozen and furious.L'manberg messes with something it shouldn't. Techno watches the repercussions and tries not to laugh.
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 23
Kudos: 323
Collections: stories from the pantheon





	in the age of icons

**Author's Note:**

> [title from Start a War - Klergy, Valerie Broussard]
> 
> I know it happened like. a long time ago (ish) in the plot now but I really wanted to write Techno's POV of Dream getting angry because, in my "perception" of the smp, he and Dream are both gods. Gods and other Entities have auras and, depending on how powerful they are, other Entities can see them. For example, Dream can always see auras, but Techno and Bad only see them when the person's emotions are very high or if they're using their powers (if they have them). I'd be happy to talk more in detail about them in the comments!

Techno watches as Dream pulls his pickaxe from his inventory; the shimmering, netherite blade glints in the afternoon sunlight when he swings, and the crack of it against the obsidian echoes. Tommy laughs, taunting, and Fundy and Quackity jeer with him even in the wall’s shadow. Tubbo doesn’t join in, arms crossed and professional in his suit, but Techno sees the way his lips twitch. Around them, all their friends and citizens and allies chuckle. 

The people of L’manberg are seemingly oblivious to the tightness of Dream’s shoulders and the restrained fury with which he swings his pickaxe, but a few feet down the hill from Techno, Sapnap and Bad exchange worried looks; at George’s side, Punz’s fingers twitch towards his sword.

That’s good, then. Not everyone here is an idiot.

“Yeah, keep digging,” Tommy crows.

The pickaxe hesitates on the downswing. The air shifts; Dream’s aura bursts into visibility, brilliant green and jagged. Ozone hums on Techno’s tongue and Bad stutters in the middle of his sentence. Nobody else notices, which makes sense; mortals have always been oblivious. The next piece of obsidian shatters. Dream stops.

Tommy snorts. “What, are you tired already?”

The green spikes, burning brighter, and Techno pushes back the instinct to draw his sword. Dream opens his hand and the pickaxe drops, only to disappear into dull white sparks before it can impact the grass. Another flash, and shining obsidian blocks appear in his hands.

Tommy and Quackity glance at each other. 

“What— hey!”

Techno scoffs under his breath; what had they expected, mocking Dream like that? For him to _not_ rebuild the wall?

“What the hell are you doing?” Quackity yells, squinting against the sun to watch Dream build. “Why the fuck are you making it taller?!”

Tommy crosses his arms. “Yeah, bitch, what the hell?”

Dream pauses, straightening. The jagged ribbons of energy around him are so bright that Techno’s almost surprised that no one else besides Bad has seen them. Ozone hums, heavy and suffocating, in the air.

“Tommy,” Dream murmurs; his back is turned, but the sound carries clearly all the way up to where Techno is watching. His voice is carefully calm, though the undercurrent of warning is obvious.

Tommy swallows. “Hello.”

Dream spins, suddenly, obsidian gone from his hands. The lines on his mask seem sharper, the shadows beneath his cloak deeper; he jumps from the wall, landing twenty feet down without a wince. Almost as one, the people closest to him back away subconsciously.

“Okay, listen,” he says, all tranquility gone. Fury sharpens him and paints his edges in burning green. “You fucked up this time, Tommy.”

Tommy inhales sharply, eyes gone wide as he backs up another few feet. “What the f—” He chuckles, shaky and nervous. “Dream, don’t swear, please.”

Techno senses more than sees Dream’s sharp, humorless smile.

“No. No, no, no, no, no. I don’t give a _fuck_ about Spirit, okay? I don’t a fuck about anything, actually! I care about your _discs._ I care more about your discs than you do!” Tommy growls, eyes flashing before he reels himself in. “That’s the only thing I care about on this server, actually.”

 _Ouch_ , Techno thinks, raising an amused eyebrow down at Sapnap and George. They can’t see him, of course, fixated on the spectacle like everyone else, but the sentiment is there. If they’re hurt by the statement, they don’t show it.

“I care about your discs, because that’s what gives me _power_ ,” Dream continues, jabbing a finger at Tommy’s chest, “over you, and your friends, and everybody that you care about, because you care about your discs more than you care about anyone else here.”

“I don’t—”

Dream raises his voice, gesturing to the towering obsidian behind him. “So if you are not exiled from L’manberg, I will build these walls until they reach the sky limit.” Electricity crackles when he turns to stare down each of the L’manberg citizens. “I will hire guards, Punz and Sapnap, to patrol all around the walls, keeping everyone inside. No trade, no one leaves, no armor, or they get _slaughtered_ inside.”

Tommy swallows; Dream raises his hand, and dread flashes through Techno as he realizes what’s happening a second before it does. The mask comes off easily and Dream throws it down, not bothering to watch where it falls.

The scars crossing his face are long-healed but grotesque, and they’re the least dangerous thing to worry about. His teeth are bared in a furious sneer and his eyes burn green and brighter than the sun. A collective shudder runs through the bystanders, and even Techno has to squint against the intensity of his power. Tommy, the poor kid, is getting the brunt of the force, and Techno can’t help but wonder what repercussions that will have.

“Don’t try and _threaten_ me,” Dream snaps. “I don’t care. I have lost all care for anything on—”

“Really?” Tommy interrupts, which is perhaps the most idiotic thing he could have done in his situation. “So if I burn Spirit right now, you wouldn’t care—”

A ribbon of energy slashes through the air, so close to Tommy that there’s no way he didn’t feel it. Dream’s eyes flare.

“Burn Spirit right in front of me, right now,” he yells. “I. Don’t. _Care_.”

Tommy makes a face. Techno will give him credit for that, at least: he’s gotten good at hiding his fear.

“Well, Spirit is the only thing you’ve cared about this entire time, how do I know you’re not fucking lying?”

Dream chuckles, low and haunting, and leans forward to leer in Tommy’s face. “I have attachment to your _discs_.”

That, finally, breaks Tommy’s act. He stumbles back, yet again putting space between himself and Dream; his hands are shaking harder than his voice.

“Why would you care, why would you, why would—? They’re my discs, why w— why do you even care about them? I don’t—”

“No, no, no, no, Tommy,” Dream soothes, smile suddenly icy. “Tommy, they’re _my_ discs. I’ll get them, I will keep them; I will put them in my ender chest and I will keep them for as long as this world lasts.”

The silence hangs. Dream’s aura finally simmers down and slowly, the lashing ribbons fade from sight. Bad lets out a breath like he’s been holding it since Dream first spoke. Techno rolls his shoulders, inhaling to chase the remaining ozone from his lungs.

Dream sighs. He tilts his head towards Tubbo but very carefully doesn’t make eye contact, which isn’t hard when everyone is avoiding his gaze.

“Listen, Tubbo,” he says, so calm compared to seconds earlier. “You have three days. If you do not exile him by then, I’ll do what I said.”

Tommy sputters. “Wh— what does that entail? What the fuck do you mean?”

Dream tilts his head, turning the full weight of his stare back to Tommy. He flexes his fingers; in a flash of dull white, his mask appears back in his hand.

“Look, Tommy. L’manberg can be independent, but L’manberg can’t be free.”

He slides the mask back over his face and returns to the wall, pulling himself to the top with the help of the natural divots in the obsidian. Techno stands, shaking out his arms to chase the remaining tension away. Part of him wants to stay and watch the fallout, but he’s technically a wanted man, so he’s not sure how well it would go.

Besides. L’manberg can only deal with one god, today.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! comments and kudos are always greatly appreciated 💛💛
> 
>  **other notes:**  
>  \- Bad, Dream, and Techno are all the Entities mentioned in this fic. Dream is god (the most powerful on the world, as its creator), Techno is a god, and Bad is simply an Entity. I said it in the beginning notes, but Dream always sees auras, while Techno and Bad only see them when the Entity's emotions are heightened and/or they're using powers if they have them.
> 
> \- Dream's aura, as you probably gathered from the fic, is neon green and takes the form of jagged ribbons centered around his head and shoulders/upper back. It brings with it the smell of ozone and, at times, is reminiscent of lightning and/or fire.
> 
> \- Dream wears the mask partially to obscure his face but also because it helps dampen his power; to mortals, unfiltered contact with a god's power/energy is Not Good - Techno noted this when Tommy took the full brunt of Dream's anger. (This will, of course, have consequences; Tommy might start to lose his mind in exile, and it won't just be because of the isolation.)
> 
> \- Finally, because I like to talk about my dsmp lore headcanons/worldbuilding: all the Entities are Dream, Techno, Bad, Eret, Schlatt, Phil, and Ghostbur. The Entities all have auras, as do Sapnap, Ranboo, and George. The former two are hybrids, along with Fundy, Sam, Skeppy, Quackity, Ant, Niki, and Puffy. I won't ramble about all of them here, but feel free to ask questions in the comments or send them to me on tumblr (@bananasofthorns)


End file.
